Data from Cabozantinib Overcomes Crizotinib Resistance in ROS1 Fusion–Positive Cancer

Abstract

<div>Abstract<p><b>Purpose:</b><i>ROS1</i> rearrangement leads to constitutive ROS1 activation with potent transforming activity. In an ongoing phase I trial, the ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) crizotinib shows remarkable initial responses in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring <i>ROS1</i> fusions; however, cancers eventually develop crizotinib resistance due to acquired mutations such as G2032R in ROS1. Thus, understanding the crizotinib-resistance mechanisms in <i>ROS1</i>-rearranged NSCLC and identification of therapeutic strategies to overcome the resistance are required.</p><p><b>Experimental Design:</b> The sensitivity of CD74–ROS1–transformed Ba/F3 cells to multiple ALK inhibitors was examined. Acquired ROS1 inhibitor–resistant mutations in CD74–ROS1 fusion were screened by <i>N</i>-ethyl-<i>N</i>-nitrosourea mutagenesis with Ba/F3 cells. To overcome the resistance mutation, we performed high-throughput drug screening with small-molecular inhibitors and anticancer drugs used in clinical practice or being currently tested in clinical trials. The effect of the identified drug was assessed in the CD74–ROS1–mutant Ba/F3 cells and crizotinib-resistant patient-derived cancer cells (MGH047) harboring G2032R-mutated CD74–ROS1.</p><p><b>Results:</b> We identified multiple novel crizotinib-resistance mutations in the ROS1 kinase domain, including the G2032R mutation. As the result of high-throughput drug screening, we found that the cMET/RET/VEGFR inhibitor cabozantinib (XL184) effectively inhibited the survival of CD74–ROS1 wild-type (WT) and resistant mutants harboring Ba/F3 and MGH047 cells. Furthermore, cabozantinib could overcome all the resistance by all newly identified secondary mutations.</p><p><b>Conclusions:</b> We developed a comprehensive model of acquired resistance to ROS1 inhibitors in NSCLC with <i>ROS1</i> rearrangement and identified cabozantinib as a therapeutic strategy to overcome the resistance. <i>Clin Cancer Res; 21(1); 166–74. ©2014 AACR</i>.</p></div>